Music venue complains new tower block on its doorstep is bad recipe

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Proposals to build a set of tower blocks up to 26 storeys tall alongside a new public square have been given the go-ahead for Greenwich Peninsula.

The scheme would see a set of three residential blocks being built in Boord Street, including 352 new homes, while an 18-storey block on the opposite side of the site would deliver 340 student rooms.

A new public square, nursery and communal garden are also planned alongside space for shops. Roof terraces and gardens would be included in the two taller blocks of the project, with a private gym available for residents. It is proposed that 35 per cent of the student rooms and flats would be ‘affordable’.

The proposal was discussed at a planning meeting on Tuesday when two key issues arose – an intended storage unit and the proximity of a music venue.

Councillors criticised the appearance of a black box shaped self-storage unit planned for the site which Labour councillor Dave Sullivan described as an ‘abomination’.

Mark Jackson, director of planning at Fairview New Homes, said the storage box was designed to be an ‘expressive’ standalone element but also complementary to the scheme as a whole.

Mr Jackson said at the meeting: “This is rightly a bold approach to a different use on this important part of the site and has been endorsed by [Greenwich council’s] independent design review panel and officers.

Barrister David Dadds, speaking on behalf of neighbouring nightclub Studio 338, described the self-storage unit as ‘ugly’. He added that the nightclub was never contacted by the developer or council about the planned development and only found out about the scheme through a public notice.

Mr Dadds said at the meeting: “We say that within close proximity, these residents will undoubtedly complain and we will lose our business. That’s not right for us. We are a cultural leading music venue. We have been there for years. We have a 24 hour licence granted by your own council here to generate music.”

Torben Anderson, director at RBA Acoustics, said that the developer had not put in place sufficient measures to mitigate existing noise from Studio 338 and the potential impact on residents. Mr Jackson said in response that engagement from Studio 338 had been ‘poor’ and a lot of work had been done by the developers to accommodate residents that would be living alongside the nightclub.

Faye Wilders, project manager of the scheme, said the Fairview New Homes had attempted to contact Studio 338 by sending an email in April last year but they did not receive a response.

Greenwich council’s planning board voted to approve the new development at the meeting, with a suggestion that the applicant engages with the neighbouring nightclub. Mr Jackson said work on the site would be able to begin in spring next year, with the full project being completed by January 2030.

Pictured top: A CGI of the planned development in Boord Street (Picture: Allies and Morrison / ACA Studios / Threesixty Architecture / Fairview)